Railway truck bolster assembly



Feb. 23, 1954 F, H, SPENNER 2,669,943

RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 16. 1950 FIG FRED H. SPENNER ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 23, 1954 RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTER ASSEMBLY Fred H. Spenner, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Scullin Steel Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application October 16, 1950, Serial No. 190,285

1 Claim.

This invention relates to railway car trucks and is particularly directed to improvements in car trucks which will provide superior lateral riding characteristics and tracking qualities of the truck.

This invention is an improvement over an invention described and claimed by me in an ap plication for patent relating to car trucks, filed March 29, 1945 and bearing Ser. No. 585,553, which has matured into Patent No. 2,551,064.

An object of the present invention is to provide a car truck with means for imp-roving the lateral riding and tracking qualities thereof in order to obtain improved running characteristics of the truck.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a railway car truck with positive snubbing means operative in both the lateral and vertical directions of bolster movement whereby to improve the riding characteristics thereof.

A further object of the present invention is found in the arrangement of spring means disposed between the bolster and the car truck side frame and positioned in a manner to obtain variable snubbing loads or pressures on suitable friction elements operating between the spring means and friction surfaces on the bolster and side frame.

A still further object hereof is to arrange spring means in accordance with the foregoing object and wherein the spring means is employed to obtain snubbing loads for each of the directions of movement between the bolster and the car truck side frame.

My present invention comprises a car truck assembly having side frame members provided with bolster openings defined in part by Vertical columns having guideways in opposed relation in the bolster opening, and in the arrangement of a sprmg-supported bolster movable between the guideways and presenting friction surface means for the cooperation of friction elements which are spring urged against the bolster friction surfaces and cooperating friction surfaces in the guideways of the side frame. My invention is particularly concerned with the arrangement of the spring means having a reaction against a bolster surface and directed against the friction elements to produce components of force thereon which may be varied in magnitude.

Further objects of my invention will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out and described when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a longitudinal elevational View of a typical railway car truck assembly embody the features of my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary and partly sectioned plan View of a side frame and bolster end construction, the view being taken at line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation taken transversely of the car truck side frame, as indicated at line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 wherein a modified construction is disclosed.

'Referring to the several views of the drawing by suitable numerals of reference, the railway car truck assembly may be seen to comprise a side frame i8, a bolster H, a bolster supporting spring group l2 and track engaging wheels I3 mounted on the side frame l0 at axle journal boxes Ill.

The side frame lil of Fig. 1 comprises a longitudinal compression member l5 and a spaced longitudinal tension member i6 interconnected with the compression member by means of vertical column members i1 which, with the tension and compression members, define a bolster opening 9 in the side frame I9. Each of the vertically directed column members Il provides a vertically directed guideway I8 which, as disclosed in Fig. 2, is formed by inboard and outboard flanges It and 20 respectively. Each of these flanges I9 and 25, in the preferred form of my invention, is arranged in vertical parallel and spaced relation in the manner shown in connection with Fig. 3, there being suitable ribs for increasing the strength of the flanges to the extent desired. The guideways IS dened by and between the respective inboard and outboard flanges are located in the upper portion of the bolster opening 9 for a purpose to appear.

The bolster member H is -of the usual boxtype construction, in which the end portion 22 thereof is suitably formed to be received in the bolster opening e for movement between the opposed guideways I8. Integral with the bolster end portion 22 are oppositely extending lugs 23 which are adapted to be received in the guideways it and are movable relative to the guideways in both a vertical and lateral direction. Since each of the bolster lugs 23 is identical in construction, a detailed description of one thereof will be deemed sufficient for purposes of the present disclosure.

The bolster lug 23 integrally formed on the end portion 22 of the bol-ster li is shown in detail in connection ywith Figs. 2 and 3. The lug consists of a medial wall 24 arranged normal to the longitudinal axis of the bolster Il and forming a common inner wall for the oppositely directed lug pockets 25, each pocket being defined by top walls 26, outer side walls 21, bottom walls 28 and inner side walls 29. The wall 29 is shown as providing the integral connection between the lug 23 and the bol-ster end portion 22. Each lug pocket-2.5 isadaPted-.to receive'sa; friction element onshore-3!! whiclris square; in cross-section and has a frictional or rubbing contact with the side, bottom and top walls of the lug pocket 25..

lav

Each friction element 33 has an .outer wall 3l which is in frictional contact" with-'a' wear" plate 32 carried by the flanges t9: and'f20tof the guider,n

ways I8.

As I have pointed out previously, the object of my invention is to improve the ridingand trackf.. ing qualities of a railway car truck.' I'have" di`s` covered that the best lateral riding and. tracking.y

lug with spring seats. in the zoneof the oppositely` .directed laterallyV offset. studs 35 and by formingfthe closedV end. `wall 3i of each of the friction. elements-3c withV a spring seat having a.sim-ilar, stud-35 which is located in. opposedl relation withthe-medial wall stud 35 and-.at a

laterallyv -oiset position to determine the proper or desired angled location of the axis of each of. the.. spring means 33. It will be observed in Flgr.- 2, thatl each of the. spring means 33 is di.- rected atthe same. anglewith respect tothe longitudinalaxis-of. the bolster li., and` that'in Fig. 3-the spring means 33 are lccatedin a common ,planel which includes the longitudinal planey of thewbolster. M.. Another way. of describing this relation. is to say that the spring means 33 are located infahorizontalplane which is normal to the verticalfsurfaces of the guideways. IB.

In. the operation of my bolster snubbing. as-

sembly, itWilLbe appreciated that the angular position of each ofthe spring means 23. relativetothe direction. of movement ofthe friction means- 32. produces. a largev or. dominant force componentA betweenthe guidewayf wear. vplates 32 and the. end wall of the friction means 3l.

Bly so. directing the. longitudinal vaxisof each of It is obvious from a careful consideration of the construction of my bolster lugs 23 and the assembly therein of friction elements 30 and spring means 33, that I may provide variable force components between the top, bottom and side walls of the lug pockets 25 and the adjacent surfaces of `friction elementsf-lit accordance with load conditions to'.` be: imposed. oniy the car truck. In other words, by changing the spring seat construction shown to alter the angular position of the spring means 33, I am able to change th'e- Sn'ubbing pressure of the friction elementst for obtaining a predetermined or desiredi-degrees'ot lateral snubbing pressure relative to thebolster Il.

In the view of Fig. 4, I have disclosed a modiedconstruction-for the vertically directed guideways.y i8'. In the modified disclosure, the inboard and outboard flanges I9 and 2li respectively are -angularly related. so` that downward movement or displacement oi the bolster endv portion 22 relative. to. the. side frame. I0. will. serve. toscompress the springs 33, for friction elements-3D and thereby increase the action of the springs. and

thecomponent of. force for snubbing vertical motionof'thebolster in accordance with changesn the loading of the. railway car. Inother, respectsi. the modiiedform of my invention isidentical with the. structure disclosed; and` .described in connection with Figs..2and.3i

Having. now. described. my invention in con.- nection Witha preferred embodiment thereof, and having, indicated certain. modifications, ity should be understood that Ideem it within the spiritof my invention to. have all equivalent modications and. rearrangements thereof included within. the scope of the claim hereafter appearing.

WhatI claim is:

A bolster assembly: comprising an elongated bolster. endl withA top, bottom andv side Walls, lugs integral with. said bolster side walls and projecting laterallyv outwardly therefrom, .each lug. having a, pair of. oppositely openingupocketstseparated by'a. medial Wall, said medial wallhaving seats on its opposite faces;and friction meansin eachjlugfpocket including a. shoe-.having flat-faces in sliding engagement in said lug pocket andf an exposed flat end` face withv a seat on the. inner sidethereof, and a-,spring for eachofsaid fric.- tionrshoeswith itsends seated between said medial wall seat and inner side seat. of. theA shoe end. face,. said seatsfor the ends of saidv spring being similarly located in the longitudinal plane of saidbolster andspaceddifferent distances, from said bolster. sidewalla FRED H. SPENNER.A

vReferences Ci'teclin the...fle.-of. this. patent` UNITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name" Date 11,130,665'v Bullock' Mar. 2, 1915 2,295,557- Cottrell separe, 1942 22420229'V Cottrell May 6, 1947 21,551,0'64 Spenner' May 1^, 1951 2552.144fr Barrows May 8', '1'95'1 

